Happy average Monday before Super Tuesday. Though, it’s not a particularly quiet day in politics. Here’s what’s happening: -
The Supreme Court handed former President Trump a huge win this morning, putting him back on the Colorado ballot. The court didn’t weigh in on whether Trump was involved in an insurrection, but it argued that states don’t have the authority to remove him.
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The New Yorker’s Evan Osnos published a profile of President Biden, including a rare interview with the president. There are some interesting nuggets about Biden’s demeanor.
- Congressional negotiators finally released the text of the bills to keep the government funded past Friday.
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We learned today that Taylor Swift is related to Emily Dickinson.
I’m Cate Martel with a quick recap of the morning and what’s coming up. Send tips, commentary, feedback and cookie recipes to cmartel@thehill.com. Did someone forward this newsletter to you? Sign up here. |
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Now you see me, now you don’t: |
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The Supreme Court handed former President Trump an enormous legal win this morning, unanimously reversing the Colorado ruling that banned him from appearing on the primary ballot.
The court’s reasoning: The court essentially ruled that states don’t have the authority to remove Trump from the ballot — only Congress could do that. If each state could decide for itself, it would create “chaos.” It didn’t weigh in on whether Trump was involved in an insurrection. Read the Supreme Court opinion Timing: The Supreme Court slid in on the last day before the Colorado presidential primary.
^ If you’re having this logical logistical question: OK, so Trump was put back on the ballot the day before the primary. How are they able to print and distribute the updated ballots in time? Well, the ballots were printed weeks ago and included Trump’s name. If the court kicked him off the ballot, those votes wouldn’t have counted.
Backstory to the case: The Colorado Supreme Court ruled that Trump is disqualified from appearing on the state’s primary ballot because he violated the 14th Amendment’s insurrection clause with his actions surrounding the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol attack. Was this ruling a surprise?: Not really. The Supreme Court has seemed reluctant to disqualify Trump from the ballot because of the political implications.
Trump’s initial reaction: Trump called the ruling a “BIG WIN FOR AMERICA.” |
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➤ COVERAGE ACROSS NEWS OUTLETS: |
- 'U.S. Supreme Court rejects Donald Trump ballot challenge in Colorado, blocking state efforts to keep him out of election' (The Denver Post)
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'Unanimous Supreme Court restores Trump to Colorado ballot' (NPR)
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'Supreme Court Restores Donald Trump’s Ballot Eligibility' (The Wall Street Journal)
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'Supreme Court rules states can't kick Trump off the ballot' (NBC News)
- 'States can’t kick Trump off ballot, Supreme Court says' (Politico)
- 'Supreme Court keeps Trump on ballot, rejects Colorado voter challenge' (The Washington Post)
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The documents have landed. I repeat, the documents have landed: |
Congressional leaders FINALLY released the text of the funding bills to keep the government open past Friday. Specifically: The text includes funding for the departments of Agriculture, Interior, Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, Veterans Affairs, Justice, Commerce and Energy.
Another recap if you’ve lost track: The latest deadlines to keep the government open are March 8 and March 22. That means if Congress doesn’t pass a funding bill (or ~another~ extension) by Friday, there will be a partial government shutdown.
And keep in mind: This government funding saga is for fiscal 2024, which began FIVE months ago. ????????
What’s in the bill, from The Hill’s Aris Folley |
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➤ CONSERVATIVES ARE FEELING LEFT OUT:
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“House conservatives are finding themselves increasingly sidelined and frustrated as Congress barrels toward a bipartisan deal to fund the government through the end of the fiscal year without the steep cuts the far right has demanded.”
Why this is worth mentioning: So far, conservatives have had the power to prevent a budget from passing due to their demands.
What this means for conservative lawmakers, via The Hill’s Mychael Schnell and Mike Lillis |
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???? On The Campaign Trail |
I mean, you have to wonder: |
GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley is heading into Super Tuesday with a nearly impossible path to the nomination. The uncertainty about her endgame is fueling speculation over whether she would launch a third-party bid.
Has Haley hinted at this?: No, she has brushed off any speculation. In fact, when asked on Friday if she would team up with the group No Labels, she said no because that would mean teaming up with a Democrat.
Why I say ‘nearly impossible path’: Former President Trump won all the early state contests in January and February by a healthy margin. Haley did win Sunday’s Washington, D.C., Republican primary, but polling suggests that Trump will have major pickups on Super Tuesday.
The Hill’s Julia Manchester on why it’s possible: “Polling has consistently shown Haley beating President Biden in a hypothetical match-up. It also shows Americans are unhappy about the idea of another Trump vs. Biden match-up, with many voters pointing to their age. The discontent with the likely rematch has led to speculation about an alternative, particularly on the GOP side.” Read more on the speculation and dynamics of a Haley third-party presidential bid. |
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➤ ‘IS NO LABELS ABOUT TO FACE PLANT?’:
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Politico’s Daniel Lippman and Shia Kapos report that “donors to No Labels are starting to fear that the third-party group missed its window for launching a much-hyped presidential bid and are questioning whether to make future financial commitments to the organization.” (Politico) |
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The New Yorker’s Evan Osnos published a profile and rare interview with President Biden.
Excerpt: “For decades, there was a lightness about Joe Biden—a springy, mischievous energy that was hard not to like, even if it allowed some people to classify him as a lightweight. For better and worse, he is a more solemn figure now. His voice is thin and clotted, and his gestures have slowed, but, in our conversation, his mind seemed unchanged. He never bungled a name or a date.”
Biden’s reason for running in 2024: “For Biden, the offense of the contested election was clearly personal. Trump had not just tried to steal the Presidency—he had tried to steal it from him. ‘I’d ask a rhetorical question,’ Biden said. ‘If you thought you were best positioned to beat someone who, if they won, would change the nature of America, what would you do?’” Read The New Yorker profile of Biden |
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???? Celebrate: Today is National Pound Cake Day.
???? I love the investigative journalism????: Genealogy company Ancestry discovered that Taylor Swift, who is releasing an upcoming album titled “The Tortured Poets Department,” is related to poet Emily Dickinson. (NBC’s ‘Today’)
✒️???? The tea of the fountain pen word: The New York Times’s Scott Cacciola writes how a German pen manufacturer brought back a dark lilac ink. There is drama in the fountain pen community because the color had changed since its limited-edition release in 2016. Side-by-side comparison of the two shades
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The House and Senate are out. President Biden is at Camp David, and Vice President Harris is in Washington, D.C. (all times Eastern) |
- 3 p.m.: Harris meets with Israeli War Cabinet member Benny Gantz.
- 4:30 p.m.: Harris records two political radio interviews.
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Tuesday: More than a dozen states are holding their presidential primaries on the day known as Super Tuesday. The list of states and delegates at stake
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3 p.m. Tuesday: The Senate returns. ????️ Tuesday’s agenda
- Thursday: Biden delivers his State of the Union address.
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Because the Supreme Court didn’t let us ease our way into the week, let’s lighten things up a bit. I never knew how funny seals looked when they sneeze. |
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